Usha Bhujel resides in Rainas Municipality in Lamjung of Gandaki Province. Originally from Gorkha, Usha moved to Lamjung with her husband after marriage. Married at 19, she worked in agriculture, growing seasonal vegetables and other crops on her family's land. Her husband worked abroad as a security guard before returning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both Usha and her husband joined the temporary employment program supported by the Youth Employment Transformation Initiative (YETI) Project in 2021. Under this program, Usha works with a group of five coworkers. They recently completed constructing a Chautari, a village square that serves as a rest stop and gathering place for the community.
Together, Usha and her husband earn around Rs 600 (about $5.8) each per day. To support their family of five, they also grow seasonal vegetables and occasionally work as agricultural laborers. Despite financial challenges, Usha is determined to provide her daughter with a good education and dreams of owning a small restaurant someday. She says, “If I save enough money from this program, I will make this dream a reality.”
Kalpana Mijar, a 34-year-old woman from Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot of Bagmati Province, Nepal, shares similar aspirations. Her husband returned from Malaysia in 2012 due to poor working conditions and respiratory ailments without substantial savings. Since then, Kalpana has shouldered most of the financial responsibilities.
She worked various jobs while taking care of her husband and paying for the education of her three daughters. Kalpana says, “I had to drop out of school due to financial difficulties after my father's death. It’s my greatest regret. I don't want my daughter to suffer the same way.” She wants her daughters to be educated and independent.
Employed under the YETI-supported temporary employment program since 2021, Kalpana is part of a group maintaining parks and gardens in Trishuli. While grateful for the work provided by the program, she acknowledges the difficulty of supporting a family on a single income: “While the program provides a source of income, it is difficult to manage household expenses and pay off loans,” she laments.
Usha Bhujel and Kalpana Mijar are among 135,000 beneficiaries of the YETI Project implemented by Nepal’s Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security and financed by the World Bank Group’s International Development Association (IDA). The YETI project aims to strengthen Nepal's Prime Minister Employment Program by improving employment services and labor market outcomes for youth, especially women from poor and marginalized communities.
During the COVID pandemic, YETI provided temporary employment support to an additional 44,000 people who had lost their jobs. The project also supports strengthening systems for longer-term employment services through centers at all 753 local levels and a National Employment Management Information System (NEMIS).